Joakim Lagergren wins Rocco Forte Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 May 2018

Sweden’s Joakim Lagergen came through a playoff against Mike Lorenzo-Vera of France to win the Rocco Forte Open at the Verdura Golf Club in Sicily.

Joakim Lagergren wins Rocco Forte Open

Joakim Lagergren of Sweden claimed his first European Tour title with a playoff victory over France’s Mike Lorenzo-Vera in the Rocco Forte Open at the Verdura Golf Club in Sicily.

Lagergren played a superb approach to the 18th on the first hole of the sudden-death playoff to set up a birdie that handed him his maiden European Tour victory.

Lagergren began the final day at Verdura GC two shots behind Lorenzo-Vera, after both men had fired excellent third rounds of 63.

The Swede overturned that deficit with four birdies in his first nine holes on Sunday. At the turn, he headed the pack.

But the birdies dried up on the back nine for Lagergren and Lorenzo-Vera re-joined him at the top of the board with a birdie on the 17th. Both men parred the last hole and extra time was required to decide the outcome of the tournament.

Lagergren needed just one hole to secure his first European Tour victory, making a brilliant birdie three on the 18th.

For Lorenzo-Vera it was a second straight runner’s-up finish. The Frenchman lost in the final of last week’s GolfSixes tournament at Centurion Club together with countryman Romain Wattel.

Mike Lorenzo Vera was runner-up in Sicily

Lucas Herbert of Australia made his way through the pack on Sunday with an excellent final round of 63. He came home in just 30 strokes to tie with England’s Andy Sullivan for third.

Lucas Bjerrregaard of Denmark looked poised to threaten Lagergren for the lead after reaching 15-under through 12 holes. But the Dane couldn’t make further progress and a dropped shot on the 18th saw him fall back into fifth place.

Rocco Forte Open - Verdura Verdura GC, Agrigento, Sicily 10-13 May Purse: €1,000,000 Par: 71

1 Joakim Lagergren (Swe) 71 66 63 68 268 2 Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 71 64 63 70 268 T3 Lucas Herbert (Aus) 69 71 66 63 269 T3 Andy Sullivan (Eng) 67 72 65 65 269 5 Lucas Bjerregaard (Den) 65 68 68 69 270 6 Julian Geurrier (Fra) 68 65 67 71 271 T7 Steven Brown (Eng) 68 66 73 66 273 T7 Francesco Laporta (Ita) 69 69 67 68 273 T9 Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 71 70 67 66 274 T9 Andrea Pavan (Ita) 72 66 66 70 274

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

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Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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